Thread: The Case of the Dropped Baton

This is a problem that i am supposed to write a paper on for calculus, but I don't know where to start in solving the problem.

The problem is that a track team can't do relays very well because their handoffs aren't good. They can all run 400 meters in 66 seconds. During relays there is a passing zone that is a box 20 meters long. They want to know where they can put a bandana on the track before the box so that the runner with the baton will yell "Go" to the runner in the box when they pass the bandana and the runner in the box will start running. They want the handoff to be smooth and it has to happen before the runner in the box runs out of the box. It says they can get up to full speed in 2 seconds.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to solve this?

Originally Posted by madride

This is a problem that i am supposed to write a paper on for calculus, but I don't know where to start in solving the problem.

The problem is that a track team can't do relays very well because their handoffs aren't good. They can all run 400 meters in 66 seconds. During relays there is a passing zone that is a box 20 meters long. They want to know where they can put a bandana on the track before the box so that the runner with the baton will yell "Go" to the runner in the box when they pass the bandana and the runner in the box will start running. They want the handoff to be smooth and it has to happen before the runner in the box runs out of the box. It says they can get up to full speed in 2 seconds.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to solve this?

You are told what their top speed is ( m/s). You are also told that they can reach this speed in s from a standing start.

Assume constant acceleration. Now how far has a runner gone from a standing start when he reaches full speed.

RonL

ok thanks for the help! sorry about the double posting. I posted this on a couple of sites and i guess i forgot that i had already posted it on this one. oops